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Tuesday, May 12, 2015

9 of Biggest National Animals

Every country has what they consider as a national animal. Usually it’s an indigenous specie that’s unique to the area, an animal that they want to represent their country. Some places prefer to choose specie that’s small and friendly, while other prefers one that’s on the big side.

Below are some of the biggest national animals and which country they represent.

Snow Leopard – Afghanistan

You might think that Afghanistan is the last place a snow leopard would be living, but this big cat is actually native to areas in South and Central Asia, which is exactly where Afghanistan is found. These cats can grow to 27 to 55 kg (60 to 121 lb). They are listed in the IUCN Red List as endangered, and there are roughly around 4,080–6,590 adults in the wild today.

Grey wolf – Turkey

Gray wolves are also called known as western wolf or timber wolf and are native to the remote areas and wilderness of Eurasia. It’s the biggest amongst the family of canid, averaging at 95–99 lb for males and 79–85 lb for females. They’re one of the most well researched animals in the planet and have a very long history with humans.

Royal Bengal Tiger - Bangladesh

Another big cat that’s also listed in the IUCN Red List as endangered, the Bengal tiger is the most common tiger subspecies found in the world. Their coats have a light orange to yellow color with stripes that range from black to dark brown. These tigers can reach a weigh of 717 lb (325 kg) and a body length of 130 in (320 cm).

Markhor – Pakistan

These large wild goats are seen in Pakistan, as well as areas around it, even leading up to Indian-occupied Kashmir and Jammu. They’re also called Shakhawat and are known for their interesting, spiral horns which can grow to about 160 cm long. Komodo dragon – Indonesia

Probably the closest thing we have to a real dragon, the Komodo Dragon is an enormous lizard species native to the islands of Padar, Montang, Gili, Flores, Rinca, and Komodo in the Indonesian archipelago. They’re the biggest living lizard species, growing to a body length of 10 ft and weighing in at 150 lb.

Indian elephant – India

The Indian elephant is an Asian elephant subspecies that’s indigenous to mainland Asia. These huge animals can grow to around 6 to 11 feet tall and 4,400 to 11,000 lb. sadly, these majestic beasts are endangered and suffer from fragmentation, degradation, and habitat loss.

White-tailed deer – Honduras

These medium-sized deer are native to the Americas and have around 30 to 40 subspecies. Their height and weight very depending on the subspecies, but a male deer can reach a weight of 100 lbs. bucks regrow their antlers once a year and use them for defense and matting purposes.

Philippine eagle – Philippines

Also known as the monkey-eating eagle, the Philippine eagle is endemic to the Philippine forests. usually measuring to 2.82 to 3.35 ft in height and 2.82 to 3.35 ft in length, they can weigh in at 10.4 to 17.6 lb. they’re considered to be the largest extant eagles based on length.

Unicorn – Scotland

This might sound like a joke, but Scotland actually considers the Unicorn as their national animal. Also known as the Queen's Beast, unicorns are horses with a single horn growing out of their skulls. Legend says that these animals have magical capabilities and can grant immortality.